Hybrid solar desalination system

ABSTRACT

A hydro-thermal exchange unit (HTEU) for desalinating feed water in accordance with a humidification-dehumidification includes feed water, fresh water and gas conduit circuits for transporting feed water, fresh water, and gas, respectively. The unit also includes an evaporator through which a portion of the feed water conduit and the gas conduit pass. The evaporator causes evaporation of a portion of the feed water to produce vapor that is transported through the gas conduit. The unit also includes a condenser through which a portion of the gas conduit and the fresh water conduit pass. The condenser has input and output ports for coupling the gas and fresh water conduit circuits. The condenser extracts moisture from the vapor transported therethrough by the gas conduit. The extracted moisture is discharged through the fresh water conduit. The unit also includes a heat exchanger through which a portion of the fresh water conduit and the feed water conduit pass to thereby extract residual heat from the fresh water such that the residual heat heats the feed water.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates generally to a method and apparatus forwater desalination using renewable solar energy.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Fresh water has become a very valuable and scarce resource in recentyears not only in arid countries of the Middle East and North Africaregions, but also in many highly populated areas of more developedcountries, such as Spain, USA, China and many others. Increases inpopulation and commercial activities have contributed to the depletionof freshwater resources. Desalination, as one of the earliest forms ofwater production, remains a popular method of water productionthroughout the world. Desalination typically uses a large amount ofenergy to remove a portion of pure water from a salt water source. Saltwater (feed water) is fed into the process, the result of which is oneoutput stream of pure (fresh) water and another stream of waste waterwith high salt concentration (brine). Large commercial desalinationplants based on fossil fuels are in use by oil-rich countries tosupplement their traditional sources of water supply. However, people inmany other areas of the world have neither the money nor oil resourcesto allow them to produce water in a similar manner. Over a billionpeople today lack access to purified drinking water and the vastmajority of these people live in rural areas, where it is very difficultto implement any traditional clean water solution. Difficulties relatedto the use of fossil fuels could be resolved by switching to renewableresources, such as solar, wind or geothermal energy. Geographical areaswhere water is needed are in fact rich with renewable energy sources.Thus the obvious way forward is to combine those renewable energysources with desalination plants. Among various renewable energyresources, the solar energy stands out as the most available, convenientand appropriate energy source for desalination.

The main drawback with the use of solar energy in existing large-scaledesalination plants is the resulting low productivity rate and thermalefficiency. However, since solar desalination plants use free energy andtherefore have insignificant operational costs, over the long term theyare more attractive than conventional approaches. This technology isstill suitable even today for small-scale production, especially inremote arid areas and islands, where there is no supply of conventionalenergy. In addition to cost considerations, there are also environmentalconcerns about the fossil fuel burning. The coupling of renewable energysources with desalination processes offers a sustainable,environmentally conscious route for increasing supplies of potablewater.

Solar energy can be harnessed for desalination either directly orindirectly. Collection systems, which use solar energy to producedistillate directly in the solar collector, are called direct collectionsystems, whereas systems that combine solar energy collection systemswith conventional desalination systems are called indirect systems. Inindirect systems, solar energy is used to either generate the heatrequired for desalination or generate electricity subsequently used toprovide electric power for conventional desalination plants such asmulti-effect, multi-stage flash or reverse osmosis systems. Direct solardesalination is primarily suited for very small production systems, suchas solar stills. The low production rate is caused by a low operatingtemperature and near atmospheric pressure of a resulting steam. Numerousattempts have been made in order to produce fresh water by means ofsolar energy. A simple solar still of a basin type is the oldest method.A solar still is a simple device that can be used to convert saline orbrackish water into drinking water. Solar stills use exactly the sameprocesses, which in nature generate rainfall, namely evaporation andcondensation: a transparent cover encloses a pan of saline water that isfirst evaporated by the trapped solar energy within the enclosure andthen condensed on the inner face of the sloping transparent cover. Thisdistilled water is generally potable; the quality of the distillate isvery high because all the salts, inorganic and organic components, andmicrobes are left behind in the bath. One of the problems thatnegatively influence the still performance is the direct contact betweenthe collector and the saline water, which may lead to corrosion andscaling in the still. The biggest issue for the solar stills however aretheir rather low efficiency and water production rate: a typicalproduction rate of a solar still is about 4 L/m²/day or less.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In accordance with one aspect of the present invention, a hydro-thermalexchange unit (HTEU) for desalinating feed water in accordance with ahumidification-dehumidification process is provided. The hydro-thermalexchange unit includes feed water, fresh water and gas conduit circuitsfor transporting feed water, fresh water, and gas, respectively. Theunit also includes an evaporator through which a portion of the feedwater conduit and the gas conduit pass. The evaporator causesevaporation of a portion of the feed water to produce vapor that istransported through the gas conduit. The unit also includes a condenserthrough which a portion of the gas conduit and the fresh water conduitpass. The condenser has input and output ports for coupling the gas andfresh water conduit circuits. The condenser extracts moisture from thevapor transported therethrough by the gas conduit. The extractedmoisture is discharged through the fresh water conduit. The unit alsoincludes a heat exchanger through which a portion of the fresh waterconduit and the feed water conduit pass to thereby extract residual heatfrom the fresh water such that the residual heat heats the feed water.

In accordance with another aspect of the invention, a hydro-thermalsection (HTS) is provided. The HTS includes a hydro-thermal exchangeunit for desalinating feed water in accordance with ahumidification-dehumidification process. The hydro-thermal exchange unitincludes feed water, fresh water and gas conduit circuits fortransporting feed water, fresh water, and gas, respectively. Thehydro-thermal exchange unit also includes an evaporator through which aportion of the feed water conduit and the gas conduit pass. Theevaporator causes evaporation of a portion of the feed water to producevapor that is transported through the gas conduit. The hydro-thermalexchange unit also includes a condenser through which a portion of thegas conduit and the fresh water conduit pass. The condenser extractsmoisture from the vapor transported therethrough by the gas conduit. Theextracted moisture is discharged through the fresh water conduit. TheHTS also includes a thermal energy source which provides thermal energythat causes the feed water to be heated.

In accordance with yet another aspect of the invention, an HTS includesa plurality of serially coupled hydro-thermal exchange units fordesalinating feed water in accordance with ahumidification-dehumidification process. The plurality of hydro-thermalexchange units includes an upstream-most hydro-thermal exchange unit anda downstream-most hydro-thermal exchange unit. Each of the hydro-thermalexchange units includes a feed water, fresh water and gas conduitcircuit for transporting feed water, fresh water, and gas, respectively,an evaporator through which a portion of the feed water conduit and thegas conduit pass, and a condenser through which a portion of the gasconduit and the fresh water conduit pass. Each hydro-thermal exchangeunit also includes a heat exchanger through which a portion of the freshwater conduit and the feed water conduit pass to thereby extractresidual heat from the fresh water such that the residual heat heats thefeed water. A feed water output conduit from a heat exchanger in animmediately preceding upstream hydro-thermal exchange unit is connectedto a feed water input conduit to the evaporator of an immediatelyfollowing downstream hydro-thermal exchange unit and a fresh wateroutput conduit from the condenser of the upstream hydro-thermal exchangeunit is connected to a fresh water input conduit to the heat exchangerof the immediately preceding upstream hydro-thermal exchange unit. TheHTS also includes a solar collector array for capturing solar energythat at least in part causes evaporation of a portion of the feed waterreceived from the downstream-most hydro-thermal exchange unit. The solarcollector array has a feed water output conduit connected to an inputfeed water conduit of the evaporator of the upstream-most hydro-thermalexchange unit.

In accordance with another aspect of the invention, a solar-powereddesalination system includes a desalination module. The desalinationmodule includes an electro-mechanical section (EMS) that includes aphotovoltaic module for converting solar energy to electrical energy andat least one pump powered by the electrical energy. The desalinationmodule also includes a hydro-thermal section (HTS) for desalinating feedwater in accordance with a humidification-dehumidification process. Thehydro-thermal section includes a solar collector for capturing solarenergy that at least in part causes evaporation of a portion of the feedwater. The at least one pump is configured to pump water through thehydro-thermal section.

In accordance with another aspect of the invention, a method is providedfor desalinating feed water. The method includes capturing solar energy,pumping feed water through a hydro-thermal exchange unit usingelectrical energy obtained in a photovoltaic conversion process, anddesalinating feed water in the hydro-thermal exchange unit in accordancewith a humidification-dehumidification process by using the capturedsolar energy to evaporate a portion of the feed water that issubsequently condensed to thereby obtain desalinated feed water.

In accordance with another aspect of the invention, a method is providedfor incrementally expanding an existing desalination system. The methodincludes providing a HTS for desalinating feed water in accordance witha humidification-dehumidification process. The HTS includes feed water,fresh water and gas conduit circuits for transporting feed water, freshwater, and gas, respectively and a thermal energy source which providesthermal energy that causes the feed water to be heated. The HTS alsoincludes an evaporator through which a portion the feed water conduitand the gas conduit pass. The evaporator causes evaporation of a portionof the feed water to produce vapor that is transported through the gasconduit. The HTS further includes a condenser through which a portion ofthe gas conduit and the fresh water conduit pass. The condenser extractsmoisture from the vapor transported therethrough by the gas conduit. Theextracted moisture is discharged through the fresh water conduit. Acommon feed water supply conduit is coupled to an input conduit of thefeed water conduit circuit of the HTS and an input conduit of a feedwater conduit circuit of the existing desalination system. A commonfresh water discharge conduit is coupled to an output conduit of thefresh water conduit circuit of the HTS and an output conduit of a freshwater conduit circuit of the existing desalination system.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 shows one example of a desalination system that includes anelectro-mechanical section (EMS) and hydro-thermal section (HTS).

FIG. 2 shows an alternative example of a desalination system that ismodular.

FIGS. 3-5 show other examples of a desalination system.

FIGS. 6-8 show various configurations of a hydro-thermal exchange unit(HTEU).

FIGS. 9-12 show various configurations of n hydro-thermal section (HTS).

FIGS. 13-14 show two examples of a multi-stage HTS design.

FIGS. 15-17 show examples of a mass transfer unit.

FIG. 18 is a graph illustrating the temperature profile and the moisturecontent distribution of the bubbles for the mass transfer unit shown inFIG. 17.

FIGS. 19-27 show other examples of a mass transfer unit.

FIG. 28 shows an example of a desalination system that reliesexclusively on solar energy.

FIG. 29 shows an example of a water-based desalination system.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

In the following detailed description, numerous specific details are setforth in order to provide a thorough understanding of exemplaryembodiments or other examples described herein. However, it will beunderstood that these embodiments and examples may be practiced withoutthe specific details. In other instances, well-known methods,procedures, components and circuits have not been described in detail,so as not to obscure the following description. Further, the embodimentsdisclosed are for exemplary purposes only and other embodiments may beemployed in lieu of, or in combination with, the embodiments disclosed.

The operation of a solar still is based on ahumidification-dehumidification (HD) cycle, in which air is firsthumidified by evaporation of feed water and subsequently dehumidified toproduce fresh water as a result. Air can be mixed with significantquantities of vapor. The vapor carrying capability of air increases withtemperature, i.e. 1 kg of dry air can carry 0.6 kg of vapor when itstemperature increases to 80° C. A significant advantage of this type oftechnology is that it provides means for low pressure and lowtemperature desalination. It can operate off the solar heat, which isnot only environmentally safe and, but also economically attractive.HD-based desalination systems could potentially be very costcompetitive. However, so far these systems have not been able to competesuccessfully against existing, more common approaches, such as reverseosmosis or multi-effect evaporation. The main reasons are a relativelylow efficiency and high capital costs associated with the solar-drivenHD systems. There is a need to design and develop more advancedsolar-driven desalination approaches, which can be easily andeffectively implemented in a wide range of production capacities atdifferent locations around the world.

In the following discussion the HD process is described as itspecifically applies to the desalination of saline or brackish feedwater. However, the same method and apparatus can be used in otherapplication of this process, e.g. water purification, distillation andothers. The described apparatus can be also used in processing ofliquids and materials other than water, e.g. alcohols, acids,foodstuffs, etc.

In accordance with the present invention, a desalination system drivenprimarily by solar energy is provided. The system 100 shown in FIG. 1consists of at least two integrated parts: electro-mechanical section(EMS) 110 and hydro-thermal section (HTS) 120. EMS 110 comprises atleast one PV cell or PV module 111, which is used to provide electricalpower to other EMS components, such as a system controller 112, waterand air pumps 113, and other possible electro-mechanical components. HTS120 comprises at least one solar thermal collector 121 and hydro-thermalexchange unit 130 (HTEU). Unit 130 in turn comprises three independentcirculation conduits or circuits: (1) circuit 131 for transporting feedwater, (2) circuit 132 for transporting vapor carrying gas (typicallyair), and (3) circuit 133 for circulating fresh water. The circuits maycomprise pipes, tubes, ducts, valves, taps, splitters, regulators andother components involved in water and air circulation. These circuitscould be fully open, partially open or closed circuits. Means for heatand mass transfer 134 between respective circuits are also provided anddescribed in detail below. Heat collected by collector 121 istransferred to at least one of the circuits 131, 132 and 133. Also,means for supplying feed water 135 and discharging fresh water 136 areprovided. As a result, system 100 is an autonomous desalination system,which can extract all of the energy required for its operation fromambient solar energy (or alternatively from other renewable energysources). This desalination system represents a hybrid approach todesalination, encompassing attractive features of both direct andindirect desalination methods. For example, the solar heat is collectedin the integrated collector 121, which is characteristic of the directdesalination. However, heat/mass exchange and fresh water extraction areaccomplished in the exchange unit 130 physically remote from thecollector, which is characteristic of indirect desalination enablingbetter heat recovery and efficiency.

A larger desalination system 200 shown in FIG. 2 may be built using amodular design approach. In this case system 200 consists of severalsmaller, independent systems 100 connected to common feed water supplyand fresh water discharge lines 210 and 220, respectively. Such anapproach simplifies the design of large desalination systems, minimizescomponent costs and lowers the start-up capital cost.

Desalination systems may be modified to include other sources of energy.For example, electrical power at least in part may be provided to thesystem from an electrical utility grid, an electrical power generator orany other independent electrical supply. Furthermore, other heat sourcesmay be used for feed water heating, e.g. geothermal heat, industrialwaste heat or others.

In accordance with the present invention, an advanced hybriddesalination system may be provided as shown in FIG. 3. System 300comprises an HTS, which includes at least solar heat collector 310,evaporator 320, condenser 330, and heat exchanger 340, and an EMS, whichincludes at least PV module 350, controller 360 and pumps 371-373. Feedwater is circulated using pump 371 and pipe circuit 381 in the directionindicated by the arrows in FIG. 3. The feed water is heated in the solarcollector 310 and then partly evaporated by the evaporator 320. Thevapor is carried away by the carrier gas, such as air, in an air ductcircuit 382. The carrier gas is driven by air pump 372. The moisture isthen extracted in the condenser 330 and discharged using fresh watercircuit 383 and pump 373. Latent heat recovered in the condenser is usedto pre-heat feed water in the heat exchanger 340. PV panel 350 provideselectrical power to the system using electrical circuit 351. Controller360 manages power distribution among the pumps using electrical circuit361.

Some or all of the aforementioned circuits 381-383 may be partially orfully closed as shown below. For example, the air circuit 382 may be afully closed loop, so that the same air is recycled in sequentialhumidification-dehumidification cycles. The fresh water circuit 383 maybe a partially closed loop, in which a portion of the flow is returnedback to the system and the other portion is discharged. Similarly, thefeed water circuit may be partially closed, so that a portion of feedwater cycled back into the system.

Other components may be included in the desalination systems describedabove, such as backup batteries, solar heat storage, water filteringcomponents etc. Electrical batteries and solar heat storage can storeexcess solar energy during the day, so that the system may operateduring the night. This approach extends the operation of the system andthus improves its utility. The solar heat storage may be a hot watertank. Alternatively, a higher boiling temperature liquid may be usedsuch as oil. In this case, the oil is first heated in the heat collectorand then transferred to a storage tank. The feed water can then beheated using the hot oil, rather than the direct solar heat exposure.

This system may be modified to improve its performance according to FIG.4. System 400 in this case, in addition to solar heat collector 410,evaporator 420, condenser 430, and heat exchanger 440, has post-heater490. The PV panel 450 then provides electrical power not only tocontroller 460 and pumps 471-473, but also to the heater 490. Theoperation of the system 400 is similar to that of the system 300 in allrespects, except that the additional electrical heater 490 raises themaximum temperature of the feed water as it enters the evaporator 420.The extra temperature rise increases the air moisture content andevaporator efficiency. Also, the location and layout of the pumps may bedifferent from the ones shown in FIGS. 3 and 4.

In accordance with the present invention, an alternative advanced hybriddesalination system may be provided as shown in FIG. 5. System 500comprises an HTS, which includes at least solar heat collector 510, heatexchanger 520, evaporator 530 and condenser 540, and an EMS, whichincludes at least PV module 550, controller 560 and pumps 571-573. Feedwater is circulated using pump 572 and pipe circuit 581, whereas freshwater is circulated using pump 571 and pipe circuit 582. The fresh wateris heated in the solar collector 510 and then used to heat up the feedwater in the heat exchanger 520. An additional electrical post-heater(not shown) may be used to further raise the temperature of the feedwater before it enters the evaporator 530. The feed water is then partlyevaporated and the vapor is carried away by the carrier gas, such asair, in an air duct circuit 583. The circulation of the carrier gas isdriven by air pump 573. The moisture is extracted afterwards in thecondenser 540 and added to the recirculating supply of fresh water inthe fresh water circuit 582. Latent heat produced in the condenser isused to heat up the fresh water before it enters the solar collector510. PV panel 550 provides electrical power to the system usingelectrical circuit 551. Controller 560 manages power distribution amongthe pumps using electrical circuit 561. Some or all of theaforementioned circuits 581-583 may be partially or fully closed asshown below. For example, the air circuit 583 may be a fully closedloop, so that the same air is recycled in sequentialhumidification-dehumidification cycles. The fresh water circuit 582 maybe a partially closed loop, in which a portion of the flow is returnedback to the system and the other portion is discharged using circuit584. The feed water circuit may be open, so that the used feed water(brine) is completely discharged out of the system after passing oncethrough the evaporator.

The fresh water circuit configured as a closed loop or a partiallyclosed loop (e.g. circuit 582) does not require a special fresh waterinput for providing a continuous supply of additional fresh water. Inthis case the fresh water is primarily generated by the system itselfthrough the process of dehumidification in the condenser. However, atthe start of the desalination process the fresh water circuit may haveto be filled with the amount of fresh water sufficient to run thecondenser. Alternatively, in the absence of fresh water the fresh watercircuit may be filled with the feed water. In the latter case thedesalination system may have to be run for several hours before thewater at the fresh water output is clean.

Desalination systems 300, 400 and 500 are specific design examples ofsystem 100 shown in FIG. 1. Other designs of system 100 are of coursepossible. They include variations in the order of heat and massexchanges among different elements and circuits of the HTS, additionalelements in the HTS, such as heat exchangers, heaters, filters, etc.,and additional elements in the EMS, such as alternative energy sources(wind or wave power generators). For example, heat from the solarcollector may be transferred to the carrier gas. Sun tracking andconcentrating optics may be added to improve solar energy conversionefficiency in the integrated PV modules and/or heat collectors. Any ofthese desalination systems may be based on the ground or water (e.g.coastal areas). In the latter case the EMS should be water resistant andthe system as a whole should float on the water surface. As a singlestage desalination system (i.e. a single humidification-dehumidificationcycle), this system is intrinsically safe for the environment, since itproduces very low salinity brine. Additional vertical positioningequipment may be included in such a system, which would allow the systemto be submerged or raised above the water surface. In addition, thesystem may be provided with a small engine, motor, thruster or other,which would enable autonomous translation motion across the watersurface. The autonomous positioning system may be used for systemprotection against inclement weather.

Different solar collectors may be used in order to convert solar energyto heat. Either fluid or gas is heated by the solar radiation as itcirculates along the solar collector through or near an absorber. Theheat may be transferred to the carrier gas, feed water or fresh water.Some other fluid may be also heated at the solar collector and eitherstored at an insulated tank or used to heat another thermal medium. Thesolar collector may be a static or suntracking device. The latter onesmay have one or two axes of sun tracking. An example of a staticcollector is a flat-plate collector (FPC) made of either metal orplastic. The absorber pipes are assembled on a flat plate and theyusually have a transparent protective surface in order to minimize heatlosses. They may have different selective coatings to reduce heat lossesand to increase radiation absorption. A typical flat-plate collector isan insulated metal box with a glass or plastic cover and a blackabsorber plate. The flow tubes can be routed in parallel or in aserpentine pattern. Flat plate collectors so far have not been found asa very popular and useful technology for desalination. Although theyhave been used for relatively small desalinated water productionvolumes, production of large volumes of water today requires additionalenergy sources. Heat losses could be minimized in evacuated tubecollectors (ETCs) by an evacuated cover of the absorber. Evacuated tubescould be either Dewar-type coaxial glass tubes or ETC with a metallicabsorber and a glass-to-metal seal. ETCs reach higher temperatures andefficiencies, and they are typically used in conjunction with the solarconcentration.

Another energy-harvesting portion of system 100 is the PV module 111,which provides necessary electrical power to the electrical componentsof the system. There are different PV technologies suitable for thispurpose. The most widespread technology is based on crystalline silicon,which provides PV modules with efficiency of about 14-18%. Higherefficiencies of about 25-30% can be achieved using multi junction PVmodules based on another crystalline semiconductor—GaAs. When thesemodules are used in combination with solar concentration, energyconversion efficiencies approach and may even exceed 40%. However, PVmodules based on these technologies tend to be expensive and in somecases may be even cost prohibitive for desalination purposes. Lessexpensive PV technologies exist and they are based on thin-filmsemiconductors, such as a-Si, CdTe, CuInGaSe₂ and others. Thin-film PVmodules are somewhat less efficient than their crystalline siliconcounterparts, but they may be more economical in desalinationapplications. Current developments in thin-film PV also suggest that theefficiency of these modules will eventually approach that of Si modulesand their cost will continue to decrease substantially below that of Simodules, which would make thin-film PV even more attractive fordesalination purposes.

In accordance with the present invention, a hydro-thermal exchange unit(HTEU) can be configured in a closed star configuration, as shown inFIG. 6. Unit 600 comprises at least mass exchange units 610 and 620 andheat exchanger 630, which are directly connected to each other. The massexchange units are the evaporator and condenser used respectively tohumidify and dehumidify the carrier gas. The heat exchanger 630 is usedto recover the latent heat released in the condenser. Alternatively, ahydro-thermal exchange unit can be configured in an open starconfiguration, as shown in FIG. 7. Unit 700 comprises at least massexchange units 710 and 720 and heat exchanger 730, some of which are notdirectly connected (e.g. units 710 and 730). For example, mass exchangeunit 710 may be an evaporator, in which feed water transferred viacircuit 750 is partly evaporated and carried away by the carrier gastransferred by circuit 760. Respectively, mass exchange unit 720 may bea condenser, in which the moisture is extracted from the carrier gas,condensed and added to the flow of fresh water transferred by circuit770. Subsequently, the heat exchanger 730 and the latent heat carried bythe fresh water flowing from the condenser are used to heat up feedwater carried by circuit 780. The arrows in FIG. 7 indicate the flowdirections for all circuits in the example considered above. It shouldbe noted that the open star configuration can only be depicted in thedrawings in only one way as shown in FIG. 7, but the closed starconfiguration can be depicted in the manner shown in either FIG. 6 orFIG. 7. The main difference between these two configurations is that inthe closed star arrangement each unit is internally connected, whereasin the open star arrangement this is not the case and there areadditional ports (e.g. output A and input D as in FIG. 7).

Similarly, a hydro-thermal exchange unit can be also configured in anopen star configuration, as shown in FIG. 8. Unit 800 comprises at leastmass exchange units 810 and 820 and heat exchanger 830. In this casemass exchange unit 810 may be an evaporator, in which the feed watertransferred via circuit 850 is partly evaporated and carried away by thecarrier gas transferred by circuit 860. Circuit 860 is configured in aclosed loop configuration, so that the same carrier gas may be usedrepeatedly. Respectively, mass exchange unit 820 may be a condenser, inwhich the moisture is extracted from the carrier gas, condensed andadded to the flow of fresh water transferred by circuit 870. Circuit 870is configured in partially closed configuration, enabling fresh waterrecirculation. Excess fresh water is discharged using output circuit890. The heat exchanger 830 is used to heat up feed water carried bycircuit 880.

Accordingly, the HTS of a desalination system may be configured in anopen or closed star configuration. For example, FIG. 9 shows an HTS inan open star configuration comprising solar collector 901, evaporator910, condenser 920 and heat exchanger 930. In this case, feed water issupplied to the system 900 via circuit 940 and preheated in the heatexchanger 930. It is further transferred to the collector 901 viacircuit 941, where it is heated to its maximum temperature. The feedwater is subsequently transferred to the evaporator 910 via circuit 942and its remainder is discharged from the system via circuit 943.Evaporated moisture is carried by an air flow in circuit 951 from theevaporator 910 to the condenser 920, after which dehumidified air isrecirculated back to the evaporator using circuit 952. Condensedmoisture is added to the flow of fresh water and carried away by circuit961. Fresh water is heated due to the release of latent heat in thecondenser. This heat is used to pre-heat incoming feed water in the heatexchanger 930. Cooled fresh water is recirculated back to the condenserusing circuit 962. A portion of the fresh water flow is split and excessis discharged via circuit 963. In this example the carrier gas circuit(951 and 952) is configured in the closed loop configuration. Althoughthe air is used as a carrier gas, other gasses may be also used, such asargon, nitrogen, carbon dioxide and others. The fresh water circuit(961, 962 and 963) is configured in a partially closed configuration,and the feed water circuit (940,941, 942 and 943) is configured in anopen configuration. Mass and heat exchangers 910, 920 and 930 arepreferably counter-flow exchangers, since counter-flowing optimizes theheat/mass exchange rate and maximizes the efficiency of an exchangeprocess. The HTS 900 is designed to recover primarily the latent heat ofthe condensing water vapor, which is typically the primary source ofheat losses in the solar-based direct desalination systems. However, thetemperature of the discharged feed water (brine) carried by the circuit943 is typically higher than that of the feed water at the intake in thecircuit 940. The residual heat carried by the brine in this case is anadditional source of heat losses.

HTS 1000 shown in FIG. 10 recovers both the latent heat of the condensedfresh water and the residual heat of the discharged brine. HTS 1000comprises solar collector 1001, evaporator 1010, condenser 1020, primaryheat exchanger 1030 and secondary heat exchanger 1070. In this case,feed water is supplied to the HTS 1000 via circuit 1040 and preheated inthe heat exchangers 1030 and 1040. It is further transferred to thecollector 1001 via circuit 1042, where it is heated to its maximumtemperature. The feed water is subsequently transferred to theevaporator 1010 via circuit 1043 and its remainder is discharged fromthe system via circuits 1044 and 1045. Evaporated moisture is carried byan air flow in circuit 1051 from the evaporator 1010 to the condenser1020, after which the dehumidified air is recirculated back to theevaporator using circuit 1052. Although the carrier gas circuit in thisexample (1051 and 1052) is configured in the closed loop configuration,it may be configured in this and other cases as a partially closed or anopen circuit as well. Condensed moisture is added to the flow of freshwater and carried away by circuit 1061. Fresh water flow is heated dueto the release of latent heat in the condenser. This heat is used topre-heat incoming feed water in the heat exchanger 1030. Cooled freshwater is recirculated back to the condenser using circuit 1062. Freshwater circuit 1062 is divided at this point and the excess fresh wateris redirected via circuit 1063, while the rest is reused in thecondenser 1020. The HTS 1000 is designed to recover not only the latentheat of the condensing water vapor, but also the residual heat carriedby the brine. The secondary heat exchanger 1070 recovers additional heatfrom discharged brine (circuit 1045) and fresh water (circuit 1064), inorder to pre-heat incoming feed water (circuit 1040). In this case theexchanger 1070 provides the heat exchange between the incoming cool feedwater and a pair of warm outgoing flows of fresh water and brine. It isalso preferable to provide counter-flow heat exchanger 1070 to optimizeits efficiency, as shown in FIG. 10.

In accordance with the present invention, an HTS of a solar desalinationsystem 100 may be also configured as shown in FIG. 11. HTS 1100comprises solar collector 1101, evaporator 1120, condenser 1110, andheat exchanger 1130. In this case, feed water is supplied to the HTS1100 via circuit 1161 and heated in the heat exchanger 1130. It isfurther transferred to the evaporator 1120 via circuit 1162 and itsremainder is discharged from the system via circuit 1163. Evaporatedmoisture is carried by an air flow in circuit 1151 from the evaporator1120 to the condenser 1110, after which the dehumidified air isrecirculated back to the evaporator using circuit 1152. Condensedmoisture is added to the flow of fresh water and carried away by circuit1143. Fresh water flow is pre-heated due to the release of latent heatin the condenser and further heated in the solar collector 1101.Subsequently, heated freshwater in circuit 1142 is used to heat up thefeed water in the heat exchanger 1130. Cooled fresh water is thenrecirculated back to the condenser 1110 using circuits 1141 and 1144.The excess fresh water is discharged using circuit 1145. This HTS designeliminates any direct contact between the solar collector and the feedwater, thus avoiding some of the problems related to the corrosioninduced by salty and polluted feed water. It also shortens the path ofthe feed water flow and thus minimizes corrosion in the HTS as a whole.

Furthermore, FIG. 12 shows another HTS design with additionalcapabilities. HTS 1200 comprises solar collector 1201, evaporator 1220,condenser 1210, primary heat exchanger 1230 and secondary heat exchanger1270. Feed water is supplied to the HTS 1200 via circuit 1261 andpre-heated in the heat exchangers 1270 and 1230. It is furthertransferred to the evaporator 1220 via circuit 1263 and its remainder isdischarged from the system via circuit 1265. Evaporated moisture iscarried by an air flow in circuit 1251 from the evaporator 1220 to thecondenser 1210, after which the dehumidified air is recirculated back tothe evaporator using circuit 1252. Condensed moisture is added to theflow of fresh water and carried away by circuit 1243. Fresh water flowis pre-heated due to the release of latent heat in the condenser andfurther heated in the solar collector 1201. Subsequently, heatedfreshwater in circuit 1242 is used to heat up the feed water in the heatexchanger 1230. Cooled fresh water is then recirculated back to thecondenser 1210 using circuits 1241 and 1244. The excess fresh water isredirected using circuit 1245. The secondary heat exchanger 1270 is usedto recover residual heat from the outgoing flows of fresh water andbrine (circuits 1245 and 1264, respectively). This design allows one toraise the average and maximum temperatures in the humidification processand thus increase its efficiency.

HTS apparatus shown in FIGS. 9-12 may be modified to include other heatsources for heating the feed water. For example, solar heat collectorsmay be replaced with geothermal heat collectors, high pressure steamheaters, industrial waste heat recovery collector and others.

In accordance with the present invention, several HTS may be linkedtogether as shown in FIG. 13. System 1300 comprises several solarcollectors 1310 (N number of solar collectors) and several hydro-thermalexchange units 1320 (M number of HTEUs). Each hydro-thermal exchangeunit (HTEU) comprises at least an evaporator 1321, a condenser 1322 anda heat exchanger 1323. In this example all HTEUs, except the last one,are configured in the closed star configuration and connected to eachother in series, in order to mimic the operation of a multi-effectdesalination system, so that each HTEU represents a single stage in thefull cycle and the whole desalination cycle contains M stages. Feedwater is provided via input circuit 1331 and pre-heated in the heatexchanger of the last stage HTEU (the rightmost HTEU in FIG. 13).Circuit 1332 transfers the pre-heated feed water to the array of solarcollectors 1310 connected to each other in series and/or in parallel,where it is further heated to its maximum temperature. The heated feedwater is then transferred via circuit 1333 to the evaporator 1321 of thefirst stage HTEU (the leftmost HTEU in FIG. 13). The evaporated moistureis then carried by the carrier gas (air) using circuit 1341 to thecondenser 1322, where it is extracted and added to the flow of freshwater in circuit 1351. After that the fresh water is transferred to theheat exchanger 1332 of the last stage HTEU. The feed water in the firststage, on the other hand, is first reheated in the heat exchanger 1323and then transfer to the input of the second stage, i.e. the evaporator1321 of the 2^(nd) stage. This cycle of evaporation, condensing andreheating is repeated at each stage until the last stage, after whichthe used feed water is discharged as the brine using circuit 1334. Theflow of the fresh water is in the backward direction—from the M-th stageevaporator to the M−1 stage heat exchanger and so on until it reachesthe 1^(st) stage evaporator and then circled back to the M-th stage heatexchanger. The excess fresh water can then be extracted using a splittercircuit 1352. This HTS design increases system capacity and overallefficiency.

FIG. 14 shows another example of a multi-stage HTS design. System 1400comprises several solar collectors 1410 (N number of solar collectors)and several hydro-thermal exchange units 1420 (M number of HTEUs). Eachhydro-thermal exchange unit (HTEU) comprises at least an evaporator1421, a condenser 1422 and a heat exchanger 1423. In this example allHTEUs are configured in the closed star configuration and connected toeach other in series, in order to mimic the operation of a multi-effectdesalination system, so that each HTEU represents a single stage in thefull cycle and the whole desalination cycle contains M stages. Feedwater is provided via input circuit 1431 and pre-heated in theadditional heat exchanger 1470. Circuit 1432 transfers the heated feedwater from the array of solar collectors 1410 to the evaporator 1421 ofthe 1^(st) stage HTEU (the leftmost HTEU in FIG. 14). The evaporatedmoisture is then carried by the carrier gas (air) using circuit 1441 tothe condenser 1422, where it is extracted and added to the flow of freshwater in circuit 1451. The fresh water circuit 1451 is a partiallyclosed circuit, so that it has to be filled before the system 1400 canstart operation. The cycle of evaporation, condensing and reheating isrepeated M−1 times, after which the used feed water is discharged asbrine using circuit 1433. During the operation of system 1400, the feedwater is transferred from the 1^(st) stage to the 2^(nd) stage and so onuntil it is expressed from the heat exchanger 1423 of the last (Mth)stage. At the same time the fresh water flow is in the oppositedirection: it flows from the M-th stage to M−1 stage and so on until itis expressed from the condenser of the 1^(st) stage. After that most ofthe fresh water is returned to the M-th stage (i.e. to the input of theheat exchanger of the M-th stage), and the excess fresh water isextracted using a splitter circuit 1452.

In accordance with the present invention, apparatus for mass exchangeunits, i.e. an evaporator and a condenser, are provided. The design ofthe evaporator and the condenser are essentially the same; the primarydifference between them is in their mode of operation. To facilitate therate of mass exchange a direct contact between a liquid and a carriergas is necessary. In this instance the liquid is water (either feedwater or fresh water) and the carrier gas is typically air. Severalapproaches are possible in the design of direct contact evaporators andcondensers.

FIG. 15 shows a mass transfer unit 1500 based on the aeration approach.Unit 1500 comprises primarily a vessel 1510 and an aerator 1520. Thevessel contains flowing heated water, whereas the aerator provides asteady stream of air bubbles. The aerator 1520 is a disk-shaped aeratorhaving an array of small holes evenly distributed across the top surfaceof the aerator. The size of air bubbles, as determined by the size ofthe aerator holes, is preferably in the range of 0.1-5 mm, and morepreferably in the range of 0.5-2 mm. The small size of air bubblesensures a large contact area between water and air, a moderate ascentvelocity and a high mass transfer (evaporation or condensation) rate.Unlike the cylindrical unit 1500, the mass transfer unit 1600 shown inFIG. 16 is rectangular. Unit 1600 also comprises a vessel 1610 and anaerator 1620. In this case the aerator 1620 can be made using aninterconnected grid of perforated pipes.

FIG. 17 illustrates the operation of an aeration-basedevaporator/condenser. At the bottom of a vessel 1710 there is an aerator1720, which comprises an array of holes 1722. An air flow 1730 isprovided to the aerator 1720 to produce air bubbles 1732. Afterpropagating through the vessel 1710, the air is collected at the top byan air collector 1740. Water flow 1750 is provided at the top of thevessel 1710 and sprayed using a sprayer 1760. Provided water forms aliquid column 1752 that moves vertically from the top of the vessel 1710to its bottom, where it is collected by a water collector 1770. Theinput water flow 1750 has temperature T_(in), whereas the output waterflow 1754 has temperature T_(out). The water mass flow rate through thevessel 1710 is M, whereas the dry air mass flow rate is m. The humidityratios (ratios of vapor mass to dry air mass) of the input and outputair flows 1730 and 1734 are h_(in) and h_(out), respectively. If themass transfer rate is much smaller than the water flow rate(M_(out)˜M_(in)=M), the mass exchange equation may be written asfollows:M·c _(p)·(T _(in) −T _(out))=m·λ·(h _(out) −h _(in)),  (1)where c_(p) is the constant pressure heat capacity and λ is the specificlatent heat for vaporization/condensation.

This apparatus may function either as an evaporator or as a condenser.The conditions for evaporation are as follows: T_(in)>T_(out), andh_(in)<h_(out). On the other hand, the conditions for condensation arethe opposite: T_(in)<T_(out), and h_(in)>h_(out). Also, for evaporationthe feed water is used, whereas for condensation the fresh water isused. The small size of air bubbles leads to a moderate rise velocity ofthe bubbles and a short molecular diffusion time across the bubble'svolume. As a result, the vapor pressure and thus the humidity ratioinside a bubble at any given position in the water column are determinedprimarily by the water temperature at this position. The humidity ratiogenerally increases with temperature, so that in the evaporator thebubbles increase their moisture content as they rise towards warmerwater layers at the top. On the contrary, in the condenser the bubbleslose their moisture as they move from warmer layers at the bottom intothe colder layers at the top of the condenser. FIG. 18 illustrates thetemperature profile and bubbles' moisture content distribution for theevaporation, where trace 1801 represents the temperature distributionand trace 1802 represents the moisture content in the air bubbles atdifferent positions across the water column.

In the aeration-based mass exchange unit, the volume of air bubbles doesnot remain constant. For example, in an evaporator the bubbles grow insize, as they ascend the water column, due to the addition of watervapor. This effect may increase the size of the bubbles beyond theoptimum size, where they are too large and ineffective for evaporationpurposes. To prevent this, the evaporator may comprise additionalelements and features shown in FIG. 19. Evaporator 1900 includes avessel 1910, an aerator 1920, and a stack mesh screens 1950. An inlet1930 and an outlet 1935 are used to provide the vertical flow of wateracross the vessel 1910. An inlet 1940 and outlet 1945 are used toprovide the air flow through the aerator 1920 and the water-filledvessel 1910. The air bubbles propagate through the water, accumulateevaporating vapor and, as a result, grow in their size. The mesh screens1950 comprise small holes, so that the growing bubbles may subdivideinto smaller size bubbles after crossing the screens as shown in FIG.20. The vertical distance between the mesh screens may be constant asshown in FIG. 20. Alternatively, the screen separation may varyaccording with their vertical position in the vessel: it may bepreferred to have smaller screen separation at the top of theevaporator, where the water temperature and therefore the bubble growthrate are higher.

In a condenser, on the other hand, the volume and size of the bubblesdecrease during their ascent, as the vapor is reabsorbed into theliquid. This decrease in size may be less of a problem, as compared tothe scenario described above for the evaporator. Under appropriateconditions, the size of the bubble may become so small that under theLaplace pressure the bubble may completely dissolve in water. However,it may be also preferable in some cases to maintain the same averagebubble size across the condenser vessel. In this case the apparatusshown in FIGS. 19 and 20 may perform a similar function: the meshscreens in this case can accumulate small size bubble and aggregate theminto larger size bubbles. In both scenarios, i.e. evaporation andcondensation, the mesh screens stabilize the flow of air bubbles andminimize turbulence. Turbulence and resulting heat convection in thewater column may alter its temperature profile, which in turn lowers theevaporation (or condensation) rate.

The efficiency of an aeration-based mass exchange unit could be improvedby using an approach illustrated in FIG. 21. Unit 2100 comprises severalsmaller mass exchange units or subunits 2101, 2102 and 2103. Although inthis example only three subunits units are shown, of course any othernumber of such subunits can be combined to produce similar systems. Eachsubunit (2101, 2102 and 2103) comprises a vessel (2111, 2112 and 2113,respectively), an aerator (2121, 2122 and 2123, respectively), an aircollector (2131, 2132 and 2133, respectively), a water inlet (2141, 2142and 2143, respectively) and a water outlet (2151, 2152 and 2153,respectively). The operation of each subunit is similar to thatdescribed in FIG. 17. The multi-vessel mass exchange unit 2100 improvesthe mass exchange efficiency by providing a better temperature controlof the water flow. For example, it prevents heat convection anddiffusion between different subunits. The air 2161 is first provided tothe lowest subunit 2101. Then processed air flow 2162 is circulated tothe next subunit 2102, after which processed air flow 2163 istransferred to the subunit 2103 and exhausted as airflow 2164. Meanwhilethe water flow 2174 is first provided to the top subunit 2103, fromwhich the used water flow is transferred to the next subunit 2102 andthen to the subunit 2101, where it is exhausted as flow 2171. When theunit 2100 is operated as an evaporator, the water temperature isgradually decreasing from top to bottom, so that the average watertemperature in the top subunit 2103 is higher than that in the middlesubunit 2102, which in turn is higher than the temperature in the bottomsubunit 2101. Respectively, the moisture content in the air flow isincreasing going from the bottom up to the top, so that the moisturecontent of the air flow 2164 at the outlet of subunit 2103 is higherthan that of the air flow 2163 from the subunit 2102, which in turn ishigher than the moisture content of the air flow 2162 from the subunit2101. When the unit 2100 is operated as a condenser, the watertemperature is gradually increasing going from the top to the bottom andthe moisture content of the air flow is decreasing as it goes up fromthe bottom to the top. Subunits 2101, 2102 and 2103 may be physicallystacked on top of each other, in which case the water inlets and outletsof the neighboring units may be directly interconnected, providing anatural water flow under the force of gravity. However, they may be alsopositioned side by side or in any other configuration. In this case thewater and air flows between different subunits may be driven byadditional pumps.

In accordance with the present invention, another approach may be usedto provide direct contact evaporation and condensation. FIG. 22 shows amass exchange unit 2200 comprising a vessel 2210, a stack of screens2220 and a water dispenser 2230. The operation of the unit 2200 is inmany respects very similar to the aeration-based mass exchange unitdescribed above. The water is delivered into the vessel and sprayedevenly on top of the screen stack. The screens comprise arrays of smallholes, which allow the water to accumulate in small amounts on thescreens and then slowly drip down before finally reaching the bottom ofthe vessel. At the bottom a water outlet 2240 is provided for removingused water. At the same time air is pumped into the air inlet 2250. Theair flow is then directed to pass between the wet screens in close anddirect contact with the flowing water, after which it is dischargedthrough the air outlet 2260.

FIG. 23 shows a cross-section of a mass exchange unit 2300 and furtherillustrates its operation, which is based on an air flow over a wettedscreen. Unit 2300 comprises a vessel 2310, a stack of screens 2320, awater sprayer 2330, a water collector 2340, an air inlet 2350 and an airoutlet 2360. Incoming water 2331 is first sprayed evenly across thetopmost screen 2320, after which it starts to slowly drip from screen toscreen thus forming an artificial “rainforest” shower 2335.Subsequently, the water is collected in the water collector 2340 at thebottom of the unit and discharged as the outgoing water flow 2341. Theinput air flow 2351 is provided via the air inlet 2350. The screens 2320may be staggered as shown in FIG. 23, so that the air in the vessel mayflow between the screens in a zigzag path indicated by the arrows 2355.Although some of the air may pass through the screens' openings that arenot closed by the falling water drops, most of the air goes around thescreens following the path that is most efficient for mass exchangebetween the downward water flow and the upward air flow. The air flowmay be stabilized and directed by additional baffles 2325. As a result,a large direct contact area may be produced between the falling waterand the air flow, leading to a high mass transfer rate. Finally, the airoutlet 2360 is used to produce the output air flow 2361.

The mass exchange unit 2300 may be operated as an evaporator. In thiscase the incoming water flow 2331 is heated and the temperature of waterdroplets 2335 gradually decreases as they descend to the bottom of thevessel. The temperature decrease is primarily due to the waterevaporation facilitated by the air flow 2355. The vapor is picked up theair, so that the moisture content in the air flow increases, as itascends the screen stack. Alternatively, the mass exchange unit 2300 maybe operated as a condenser. In this case the incoming water flow 2331 iscooled and the temperature of water droplets 2335 gradually increases,as they descend to the bottom of the vessel. The temperature increase isprimarily due to the water condensation and the associated release oflatent heat. The moisture in this case is supplied with the air flow2355, so that the moisture content in the air flow decreases, as itascends the screen stack.

The screens 2320 may be produced in a number of ways from a variety ofmaterials, including metals, plastics, glasses and ceramics. Screens maybe made for example by producing holes in a thin sheet of an appropriatematerial or by forming a wire mesh from thin wires or fibers. Screensmay be also made from porous or sponge-like sheets, having a continuousand interconnected network of pores to allow water penetration. It maybe preferred to produce screens using a low-cost net or mesh made ofmetal wires or plastic fibers. Plastic meshes may be also formed intotheir final form directly from the melt using preforms. Appropriatemetals for mesh materials include stainless steel, aluminum, copper andothers. There is a wide variety of plastic materials appropriate for useas screens, which includes polyethylene terephalate (PET), polyethylene,polyvinyl chloride (PVC) and many others.

The screens may be flat and stacked horizontally on top of each otherhaving a constant vertical separation as shown in FIG. 23. However, itmay be preferred to having a varying separation between neighboringscreens as shown in FIG. 24. A wetted screen evaporator 2400 is similarto the unit 2300, except the screens 2420 are more widely spaced at thetop of the evaporator as compared to those at the bottom. As the airflow in the evaporator ascends and collects moisture from the fallingwater, its volume and respective flow rate increase. The increase in theflow rate at the top of the evaporator may lead to excessive air flowvelocity. This process however can be controlled and minimized byincreasing the separation between the screens, thereby reducing theevaporation rate and at the same slowing down air flow. The sameapproach may be used in a condenser, in which case the screen separationshould be decreasing going from the bottom of the condenser to the top.

Alternatively, the screens may be arranged as shown in FIG. 25. Anevaporator 2500 comprises the same basic elements as the other massexchange units described above, including a stack of screens 2520. Inthis case the separation between the screens may be constant across thefull extent of the vessel 2510, as shown in FIG. 25. However, it mayalso vary depending on the position of the screen in the stack, asdiscussed above. In addition, the screens 2520 may be arranged andstaggered as shown in FIG. 25, in order to produce additional airpassages, reduce air flow speed and improve efficiency. For thispurpose, baffles 2525 have been modified accordingly, graduallyincreasing in size from the smallest baffle at the bottom to the largestone at the top of the evaporator. Of course, a similar approach can beimplemented for the condenser, in which case the baffle size should bedecreasing going from the bottom to the top of the condenser.

Although the above discussion focused primarily on boxed or rectangularunits, other geometries or mechanical layouts are possible for theconstruction of a mass-exchange unit based on a wetted screen approach.These geometries include vessels and containers having either constantcross-sectional area and shape across its height, e.g. a cylinder, orvarying cross-sectional area and shape, e.g. a cone. For example, FIG.26 shows a cylindrical mass-exchange unit 2600, which comprises acylindrical vessel 2610 and a spiral screen 2620. Unlike the previouslydescribed designs, the screens in the unit 2600 may be produced as asingle piece, e.g. from a rolled mesh. In addition, the unit 2600 mayalso comprise the hollow core 2630, providing a convenient place foradditional components of a system, such as piping, pumps, controllersand other electrical parts.

FIG. 27 shows a cross-section of a cylindrical mass-exchange unit 2700.The water dispenser 2730 is used to spray the incoming water flow 2731onto the screens 2720. As the water drips, it forms a falling watershower 2735 until it reaches the bottom of the vessel 2710, where it iscollected by the water collector 2740 and discharged into the water flow2741. At the same time the air inlet 2750 provides an air flow 2751. Theair may travel between the screens along the spiral passage formed bythe spiral screen stack. In the unit 2700 illustrated in FIG. 27 the airflow in the right-hand side of the vessel is directed away from theviewer, whereas the air flow in the left-hand side of the vessel isdirected towards the viewer. The air is moving upwards along thescreens, which provide a large contact area with the dripping water. Atthe top of the vessel the air 2761 is exhausted using the air outlet2760.

Of course other geometrical and mechanical configurations may besuitable in the described approaches. Also, any combination of theapproaches, methods, solutions and specific implementations discussedabove may be used in the same desalination system. This inventionprovides methods and apparatus to solar desalination, which is moreefficient, scalable and less expensive than the existing approaches. Theefficiency of the desalination system is enhanced by the use of a freshwater recirculation loop and additional heat exchangers, whichrespectively increase the humidification/dehumidification rate andrecover residual heat. This system is modular and highly scalable, sothat the same design can be implemented in different plant sizes havingvastly different capacities. A large system may be composed of smallerunits or modules that each can function as an independent desalinationplant. This is in part made possible by the use of integrated PV modulesthat provide local electrical power and enable an autonomous operation.The system is also intrinsically inexpensive, as it is made of standardparts that can be mass-produced in large quantities and most of them canbe made cheaply from low-cost plastic materials. It is expected that thedesalination system provided by this invention can be ten times moreefficient than the existing solar stills.

Example 1

In accordance with the present invention, an apparatus foraeration-assisted mass exchange, e.g. evaporation and condensation, canbe provided. It includes a cylindrical container and a disk shapedaerator as shown in FIG. 15. The container can be produced fromstainless steel, PVC or other container material suitable for processingof potable water. The diameter of a container may be in the range of 1cm to 1 m, preferably in the range of 10 to 20 cm, whereas the height ofthe container may be in the range of 2 cm to 2 m, preferably in therange of 10 to 40 cm. The diameter of the aerator may be about thediameter of the container. The aerator may have a dense array of holeshaving a diameter in the range of 0.1 to 5 mm, preferably 0.5-2 mm, andthe spacing between nearest holes in the range of 0.1 to 5 mm. Theapparatus may also include a stack of screens that are made of astainless steel wire mesh or plastic fibers. Screens may be less than 1mm thick, preferably less than 0.5 mm thick. Screens may includes holesand openings with average size of about 0.1-2 mm, preferably 0.5-1 mm.Screens are stacked on top of each other with vertical spacing of about2 to 30 cm, preferably of about 5 to 10 cm. The screens are sized toprovide a neat fit to the inside of the container, so that each has acircular area with a diameter close to the diameter of a container.

The mass-exchange apparatus may further include an air pump forproviding an air flow to the aerator. The air flow rate depends on theoverall capacity of the system and the amount of absorbed sunlight atany given moment. For a small system having a solar heat collector withan active absorber area of about 1-2 m², the air flow rate may be varybetween 0 to 100 liters/min. The apparatus may also include a water pumpfor providing a vertical laminar water flow from the top of thecontainer to its bottom at variable flow rate of 0 to 1 liter/min.

The apparatus may be operated as either an evaporator or a condenser.For evaporation, the feed water is provided and preheated to atemperature above the ambient temperature. The heated feed watertemperature T_(in) may be in the range of 50° C. to 100° C., preferablyin the range of 80° C. to 99° C. As the feed water flows through thecontainer from the top to the bottom, the dry air is provided and fedthrough the aerator at the bottom of the container. As the air bubblesrise to the top of the container, they are saturated with water vapor.The moisture content of the air at the air outlet of this evaporator isprimarily determined by the water temperature at the top of thecontainer, so that h_(out)>0.1 for T_(in)>50° C. and h_(out)>0.6 forT_(in)>80° C. For condensation, the cooled fresh water is provided atthe top and humid heated air is fed from the bottom. After passingthrough the water, the air is dehumidified, so that its output humiditycontent is primarily determined by the input water temperature. Theoutput air humidity ratio is less than 0.1 for T_(in)<50° C.

Example 2

In accordance with the present invention, an apparatus forwetscreen-assisted mass exchange, e.g. evaporation and condensation, canbe provided. It includes a container and a stack of see-through screensas shown in FIG. 22. The container can be produced from stainless steel,PVC or other container material suitable for processing of potablewater. The container may be square in the cross-section having a sidesize in the range of 1 cm to 1 m, preferably in the range of 10 to 20cm, whereas the height of the container may be in the range of 2 cm to 2m, preferably in the range of 10 to 40 cm. The size of the screens maybe about the size of the container. The screens may be staggered toprovide a passage for the air flow between them, so that some of themhave a wide opening for air passage on the right side, while others havean opening on the left side. They may be made of a stainless steel wiremesh, plastic fibers, thin sponge or perforated sheets of otherwater-safe materials. Screens may be less than 1 mm thick, preferablyless than 0.5 mm thick. Screens include holes and openings with averagesize of about 0.01-2 mm, preferably 0.1-0.5 mm. Screens are stacked ontop of each other with vertical spacing of about 0.2 to 10 cm,preferably of about 0.5 to 2 cm.

The mass-exchange apparatus may further include an air pump forproviding an air flow through the container. The air flow rate dependson the overall capacity of the system and the amount of absorbedsunlight at any given moment. For a small system having a solar heatcollector with an active absorber area of about 1-2 m², the air flowrate may be vary between 0 to 100 liters/min. The apparatus may alsoinclude a water pump for providing a water flow from the top of thecontainer to its bottom at variable flow rate of 0 to 1 liter/min.

The apparatus may be operated as either an evaporator or a condenser.For evaporation, the feed water is provided and preheated to atemperature above the ambient temperature. The heated feed watertemperature T_(H), may be in the range of 50° C. to 100° C., preferablyin the range of 80° C. to 99° C. As the feed water flows through thecontainer and the screen stack from the top to the bottom, the air isprovided at the bottom and fed through the container. As the air risesto the top of the container, it is saturated with water vapor. Themoisture content of the air at the air outlet of this evaporator isprimarily determined by the water droplet temperature at the top of thecontainer, so that h_(out)>0.1 for T_(in)>50° C. and h_(out)>0.6 forT_(in)>80° C. For condensation, the cooled fresh water is provided atthe top and humid heated air is fed from the bottom. After passingthrough the wet screens, the air is dehumidified, so that its outputhumidity content is primarily determined by the input water temperature.The output air humidity ratio is less than 0.1 for T_(in)<50° C.

Example 3

In accordance with the present invention, an HTS apparatus of adesalination system may be provided as shown in FIG. 9. The apparatuscomprises a solar heat collector, an evaporator, a condenser and a heatexchanger. Feed water is provided to the apparatus from a salt orbrackish water source, e.g. an ocean or a pond. This water is preheatedusing a counter-current heat exchanger, e.g. a shell-and-tube heatexchanger produced by Exergy LLC, and then further heated using a solarheat collector, e.g. an FPC panel produced by Schuco USA having anabsorber area in the range of 2-3 m². Multiple collector panels may beused in a single HTS and also, other types of heat collector may be usedinstead of FPC panels, such as evacuated tubes or concentrated solarcollectors. The heated feed water is then fed to the evaporator at atemperature T_(H), in the range of 50° C. to 100° C., preferably in therange of 80° C. to 99° C. The evaporator may be provided using theapparatus described either in example 1 or 2 above. Used feed watercoming out of the evaporator may be discharged from the system as brine.The humidified air from the evaporator is transferred to the condenserthat may be provided using the apparatus described either in the example1 or 2 above. The dehumidified air may be then recirculated back to theevaporator. The condensed fresh water, on the other hand, is transferredto the heat exchanger and used to preheat the feed water. Fresh watertemperature after the heat exchanger is close to the temperature ofinput feed water, in the range of 4-50° C. The excess fresh water may beremoved and discharged from the system. The remaining cooled fresh wateris then fed back to the condenser in a closed loop configuration. Inaddition, a second heat exchanger may be used to further pre-heat theincoming feed water by using residual heat in the discharged brine, asshown in FIG. 10

Example 4

In accordance with the present invention, a desalination system poweredexclusively by solar energy is provided as shown in FIG. 1. The system'selectrical power is produced by an integrated PV module, e.g. a BP Solar380J panel. The HTS apparatus may be produced using the approachdescribed in example 3. The water and air pumps that transfer air andwater inside the system's circuits are powered by the PV module. Thesystem controller adjusts the flow rates of the air and water flows, inorder to maintain optimum operating conditions that in turn depend onthe amount of absorbed sunlight energy. The set of optimum conditionsincludes the maximum feed water temperature, which primarily determinesthe evaporation rate. In low sunlight the flow rate is maintained atrelatively low levels, whereas in bright sunlight the flow rate can beincreased up to its maximum value as determined by the overall systemcapacity. The typical production rate of such a system is about 20-40L/m²/day; for a desalination system with a 2 m² solar collector thistranslates into 40-80 L/day. This in turn requires a water flow rate ofabout 0.1-1 L/m²/day; for a desalination system with a 2 m² solarcollector this translates into 0.2-2 L/day.

An example of such a system is shown in FIG. 28. In this casedesalination system 2800 is a land-based system, comprising at least onemodule 2810 located on a ground surface 2801. Module 2810 includes ahousing 2811, a solar heat collector 2811 and a PV module 2813. Thehousing is used to combine all the other components of the system (EMSand HTS components) in one unit. Using the approaches described above,the housing may be made compact and fit under the solar collector and PVpanels. In addition, water lines 2821, 2822 and 2823 are provided forsupplying the feed water, and discharging the brine and fresh water,respectively.

The system 2800 may be operated solely on solar energy and autonomouslyfrom other sources of heat and power. However, such a system may beuseful for desalination using alternative sources of energy. Forexample, the system 2800 may be connected to other electrical power andheat sources that are available when the solar energy is not. Thisapproach allows to use this desalination apparatus even in the absenceof sunlight, e.g. at night. As a result, during the day such a systemmay be operated in the solar-only mode, and during the night the systemmay be operated using for example the electrical utility grid for thepower source and waste heat or externally stored heat for the heatsource.

Example 5

In accordance with the present invention, a desalination system poweredexclusively by solar energy is provided as shown in FIG. 29.Desalination system 2900 is a water-based system; it may be used forexample on an ocean (2901). The system includes at least one module2910, which in turn comprises a solar heat collector 2911, a PV panel2913 and a vessel or other housing 2920. The housing contains at leastan evaporator 2921, a condenser 2922 and a heat exchanger 2923.Furthermore, the housing contains a feed water circuit 2930, a carrierair circuit 2931 and a fresh water circuit 2932. Ocean water in thiscase is used as the feed water. Desalination system 2900 produceslow-salinity brine that can be safely discharged back into the oceanwithout causing any environmental concerns. For example, in asingle-stage system the salinity of the brine with respect to the feedwater increases by less than 10%.

In order to improve the collection efficiency of the solar heat andpower, the solar energy collector 2911 and the PV panel 2913 can betilted and positioned in the direction of the sun using positioningequipment 2912 and 2914, respectively. This positioning equipment mayprovide either a fixed position or a varying position that in turn mayactively track the sun's position in the sky. In addition, thedesalination system module 2910 may include other positioning equipment2940 that enables the system 2900 to change its position (e.g.,orientation, location) as a whole, for example by moving across thesurface of the ocean or by submerging below its surface. For thispurpose the positioning equipment 2940 may include a motor 2941 thatallows translational motion across the water surface. Also thepositioning equipment 2940 may include an anchor 2942 that allows themodule to maintain a fixed position on the surface and also submergeunderwater to avoid inclement weather.

Desalination system 2900 may include a plurality of modules 2910, whichmay be arranged and connected to each other to form an array of modules2910. These modules may be operated and controlled in unison to providefresh water into the same water storage facility.

The invention claimed is:
 1. A desalination system, comprising: aplurality of serially coupled Hydro-Thermal Exchange Units (HTEUs) fordesalinating saline feed water in accordance with ahumidification-dehumidification process, said plurality of HTEUsincluding an upstream-most HTEU and a downstream-most HTEU, each of theHTEUs including: saline feed water, fresh water and gas conduit circuitsfor transporting saline feed water, fresh water, and gas, respectively;an evaporator through which a portion of the saline feed water conduitcircuit and the gas conduit circuit pass, said evaporator causingevaporation of a portion of the saline feed water in the saline feedwater conduit circuit to produce vapor that is transported through thegas conduit circuit; a solar collector arranged to supply solar energyto a portion of the fresh water conduit circuit for heating the freshwater therein; a condenser through which a portion of the gas conduitcircuit and the fresh water conduit circuit pass, said condenser havinginput and output ports for coupling said gas and fresh water conduitcircuits; said condenser extracting moisture from the vapor transportedtherethrough by the gas conduit circuit, wherein the extracted moistureis discharged through the fresh water conduit circuit; and a heatexchanger through which a portion of the fresh water conduit circuit andthe saline feed water conduit circuit pass to thereby extract residualheat from the fresh water such that the residual heat heats said portionof the saline feed water that subsequently passes through theevaporator.
 2. The desalination system of claim 1, wherein the gasconduit circuit is a closed loop circuit.
 3. The desalination system ofclaim 1, wherein the fresh water conduit circuit is a partially closedlooped circuit.
 4. The desalination system of claim 1, wherein the freshwater conduit circuit further comprises a splitter unit for dischargingexcess fresh water.
 5. The desalination system of claim 1, furthercomprising a heating unit for heating feed water in the saline feedwater conduit circuit prior to entering the evaporator.
 6. Thedesalination system of claim 1, wherein the evaporator, condenser andheat exchanger are configured in a closed star configuration.
 7. Thedesalination system of claim 1, wherein the evaporator, condenser andheat exchanger are configured in an open star configuration.
 8. Thedesalination system of claim 7, wherein each HTEU in the desalinationsystem further comprises a second heat exchanger for extracting residualheat from outgoing feed water and outgoing fresh water such that theresidual heat heats incoming feed water.
 9. The desalination system ofclaim 1 further comprising a heating unit for heating a portion of thefeed water received from the downstream-most HTEU, wherein the heatingunit has a feed water output conduit connected to an input feed waterconduit of the evaporator of the upstream-most HTEU.
 10. Thedesalination system of claim 9 wherein the heating unit includes a solarcollector.
 11. The desalination system of claim 10 wherein the solarcollector is a flat-plate collector.
 12. The desalination system ofclaim 9 wherein the heating unit includes a photovoltaic module.
 13. Thedesalination system of claim 9 wherein the heating unit includes anevacuated tube collector.
 14. The desalination system of claim 1 whereinthe gas transported by the gas conduit circuit is selected from thegroup consisting of argon, nitrogen and carbon dioxide.
 15. Adesalination system, comprising: a hydro-thermal exchange unit (HTEU)for desalinating feed water in accordance with ahumidification-dehumidification process, said HTEU including: feedwater, fresh water and gas conduit circuits for transporting feed water,fresh water, and gas, respectively; an evaporator through which aportion of the feed water conduit circuit and the gas conduit circuitpass, said evaporator causing evaporation of a portion of the feed waterto produce vapor that is transported through the gas conduit circuit; acondenser through which a portion of the gas conduit circuit and thefresh water conduit circuit pass, said condenser extracting moisturefrom the vapor transported therethrough by the gas conduit circuit,wherein the extracted moisture is discharged through the fresh waterconduit circuit; a thermal energy source which provides thermal energyto the fresh water in the fresh water conduit circuit; and a heatexchanger through which a portion of the fresh water conduit circuit andthe feed water conduit circuit pass to thereby extract residual heatfrom the fresh water such that the residual heat heats said portion ofthe feed water that subsequently passes through the evaporator, thethermal energy source heating the fresh water prior to the fresh waterpassing through the heat exchanger.
 16. The desalination system of claim15, wherein the thermal energy source includes a solar collector.